Nicholls defeats New Orleans 77-90
Nicholls Stuns New Orleans Behind Balanced Attack, 90-77
In a thrilling conference matchup at the Lakefront Arena, Nicholls edged out host New Orleans by a margin of 13 points, spoiling the Pelicans' homecoming and sending a clear message to the college basketball world: the Colonels are on the rise.
The first half was a seesaw affair, with both teams trading baskets and neither able to gain a significant advantage. However, as the clock ticked into halftime, Nicholls began to assert its dominance, outscoring New Orleans 34-43 in the second frame to take a slim 47-43 lead into intermission.
The Colonels continued to execute their game plan with precision in the second half, pushing the lead to 19 points at one point and never looking back. Jaylen Searles led the way for Nicholls, dropping 24 points on 4-for-9 three-point shooting and an impressive 64.3% field goal percentage.
Searles' hot hand was matched by Jalin Rice, who chipped in with 8 points and 5 rebounds to help anchor the Colonels' balanced attack. Meanwhile, Trae English dished out a team-high 7 assists to keep the offense moving and created numerous scoring opportunities for his teammates.
New Orleans, meanwhile, struggled to find its footing behind Coleton Benson's 26 points. The Pelicans' senior guard had a solid all-around game, but his efforts were ultimately insufficient to overcome the Colonels' sustained effort.
In the end, Nicholls' superior shooting and rebounding margins proved decisive, as the Colonels outgunned New Orleans 90-77 in front of a raucous Lakefront Arena crowd. The win was Nicholls' first on the road this season, capping off an impressive two-game road swing that has left the team feeling confident about its chances going forward.
The Pelicans, meanwhile, will need to regroup and refocus after a disappointing loss that dropped them to 1-2 in conference play. With several key players still nursing injuries, New Orleans' offense is starting to look a little thin, and coach Will Wade's squad will need to find a way to overcome those limitations if it hopes to make a deep run in the postseason.
As for Nicholls, this latest victory has injected new life into its conference title hopes. With three games remaining in league play, the Colonels are now squarely in contention for the top seed in their bracket, and with Searles, Rice, and English leading the charge, there's no reason to believe they won't make a serious run at the championship.